Small Group Modules

These educational modules are an opportunity for small groups to learn about restorative justice, consider how it relates to our Catholic faith, and discern the call to action in personal life, parish community, and the criminal justice system. Restorative Justice, Restorative Living is four evening sessions of rich content and dialogue that can be a part of your parish or ministry's commitment to combating racial justice and fostering a culture of encounter.

Overview & Objectives

In addition to informative videos and presentations, the modules use circles for dialogue so that participants experience a restorative practice. Materials include detailed facilitator guides, participant handouts, prayerful reflection, and resources for further learning. Content and structure integrates Catholic teaching and prayer, is adaptable to varied environments, and strives to be inclusive of diverse perspectives and experiences.

Through the Catholic Social Teaching learning model of "see, judge, act", participants will:

Develop an understanding of crime in terms of people harmed and relationships violated and restorative justice through a lens of Catholic spirituality and social thought.

Consider human dignity and integral connection in relation to the criminal justice system and racial injustice.

Pray and reflect together on living restoratively in personal relationships, parish communities, and the criminal justice system.

Discern opportunities for action that promote restorative justice through ministry and advocacy.

CMN Support and Collaboration

Whether you are an experienced restorative justice practitioner or are new to the topic, CMN staff is a resource to groups using Restorative Justice, Restorative Living. CMN's Director of Restorative Justice, Caitlin Morneau, completes a thorough orientation with facilitators and is available for questions and suggestions as needed.

CMN values the insight of diverse perspectives as we grow this program. Ongoing dialogue with facilitators and group feedback strengthen its impact and contribute to a national conversation on restorative justice from a Catholic perspective.

Upcoming Facilitator Orientations

Facilitator orientations will be hosted on Wednesday, March 13th (1pm Eastern) and Tuesday, April 23 (11am Eastern). Click here to register!

It’s a new year and that means there's a lot in the works at Catholic Mobilizing Network! In 2019, CMN will continue building capacity for people of faith to engage in restorative practices, transforming our Church and the U.S. criminal justice system.
More

Imagine the criminal justice system as a mountain with restorative justice as the vision at the top. Much is need to move toward that summit, but we cannot get there without abolishing the death penalty.
More

Joe Cotton, the Director of Pastoral Care and Outreach for the Archdiocese of Seattle, explains how restorative practices are being used throughout the King County juvenile justice system to transform the healing process for all who have been impacted by crime. The country-wide effort has created a team of people of faith and goodwill who "stand ready to accompany people impacted by crime, allowing them to transform their pain, rather than transmit it."
More

Yes, we are all pilgrims on the journey. Any good that we can do for another comes back to us a hundredfold. Jesus is in prison as well as outside the barbed wire fence. Can we answer Jesus’s invitation to visit him inside? Not only can our ministry help heal our brothers and sisters, many having been victims themselves before becoming “wounded wounders,” but we also are taking another transformative step along our own personal journey.
More

CMN’s Mercy in Action Project seeks to promote clemency for those facing imminent execution. By joining the Mercy in Action Project you will receive monthly alerts with information on upcoming executions and tools to advocate for clemency in those cases as well as prayerful resources. Join us as we save lives on death row! The Mercy in Action Project is being partially supported by a grant from The Consistent Life Network, an international pro-life, pro-peace coalition.